Horse hay-fork.



. J. M. BOYD.

HORSE HAY FORK.

APPLIGATION FILED SBPT.'6, 1904.

No. 857,379. PATENTED JUNB18,--1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witne se s: I Inventor:

. PATENTED JUNE 18, 1907.

I No. 357,379.

. J- M- O HORSE HAY FORK. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. a, 41904.

' 2SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Inventor:

JOHN M. BOYD, OF FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN.

HORSE HAY-FORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1907.

Application filed September 6, 1904:. Se al NO- 223,381.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. Born, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fond du Lac, in the county of Fond du Lac and StateofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in HorseHay-Forks, of which the following is a specification, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to improvements in horse hay forks of the kindcommonly known as grapple forks, and has for its object to provide afork simple in construction, sure, safe, and convenient in operation,which will take large loads, and may be easily returned to the operatorafter discharging its load, without catching in bunches of hay, etc,over which it may have to slide, as when a mow is nearly full, etc, andwhich will return with the points of its prongs guarded, so that therewill be no danger of impaling the operator, as when a forkreturns wideopen, and in which the lock will be automatically set as the forkdescend and strikes the load, when the trip rope is slacked. I attainthese objects by the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings,in'which- Figure 1. is a side elevation of the fork, formed with twoprongs, and spread open ready to thrust into the hay, Fig. 2, shows theposition ofthe different parts after the fork has been set in the hayand the load is being raised, Fi 3, shows several detail views of thefor fz head andspear, Fig. 4, shows the fork formed with four prongs,two on each side, and in a closed position, Fig. 5, shows the positionof the difierent parts when the load is being discharged, Fig. 6, theposition of the parts as the fork returns to the operator, and Fig. 7,the position they assume as the fork descends and strikes the load,throwing the upper ends of the prongs or tines back and automaticallysetting the locking mechanism Figs. 8, 9, and 10, are

' detail views of different parts.

In the drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts, h. indicates the fork head, formed with an uppercircular portion h provided with an annular o ening whereby it may beattached to the li ting device, a central opening 6. through which thetripping cord 7. may pass, an ear or side extension 71 at each side, towhich the upper ends of the bails b. b. of the fork may be ivotallyattached, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.) shouldered. d. below and ateach side of the central opening 6. to prevent said bails closingtogether too far, and a lower extension h to which a removable spear 8.may be attached, said spear being formed with a forked upper end s.adapted to engage with said lower extension h*. for this purpose, and tobe held in place by a bolt 8 lugs or extensions h. 71;. being alsoprovided to project down at each side of the central part of said u perend of the spear, at each side of the for red end 8. to hold it in placesidewise, as in the left hand view in Fig. 3., in which view one side oftheupper forked end of the spear is shown as broken away to show theconstruction of these parts.

a. a. are the prongs or tines of the fork, pivoted between the lowerends of the bails b. b., said bails being arranged in pairs at each sideof the fork, (see Fig. 4.) and pivoted at their upper ends to the earsor side extensions W. at each side of the fork head h. as shown, andbetween these bails are also pivoted catches a. 0., in proper positionto engage the upper ends of the prongsa. a. and

also looking dogs or levers Z. Z. adapted to engage and lock saidcatches and hold the prongs in position while the load is beingelevated, said catches, shown, in detail in Fig.' 9., being formed witha front downwardly extending portion 0. adapted to engage the upper endof the prong 0., a rear downward extension 0 and an upward extension cadapted to engage with the lower extension Z. of the locking dog orlever Z. A channel or recess is also formed around the hubs or pivotedparts of this catch and lever, to provide room for springs f. 7. coiledaround said hubs, the view at the right in Fig' 9. showing the recess orchannel in the catch 0., the spring being removed, and also the positionof the spring in dotted lines, coiled around the hub of the lever, oneend being hooked over the lever, and the other end hooked over the edgeof the bailb. to give it the tension desired, and to hold it in place,and the view at the left in the same figure showing the spring f inplace around the hub of the catch, one end being hooked I over the rearend of the catch, and the opposite end being provided with a hook tohook over the edge of the bail that is removed as shown in the figure,to give a better view of these working parts. I11 this View the springf. is also shown in position as coiled around the hub of the lever, andhooked over the edge of the bail Z)., and as when under tension, theconstruction of the opposite side of this lever being shown in Fig. 10,showing the channel or recess provided for the spring.

The dotted lines in Fig. 9. represent the upper end of the prong or forktine, the view at the right of said figure showing the position of thedifferent parts when said prong is locked in place, as in Figs. 1. 2. 4.and 7 (in which the catch and lever are shown partly in dotted lines,)and the view at the left as below its pivot, in the usual manner forforks of this class, as in Fig. 1.

Zr. is a guard, formed at the lower end, as at kt, to engage in abearing p. provided near the upper end of the prong a., and at the upperend it is bent sidewise and curved up to pass between the bails b. abovethe locking lever, and provided with a hook 7c. to hook over the edge ofone of the bails to hold it in place as in Figs. 1. and 2. and beingadapted to slide-up and down along'said bails as the prongs open orclose, as shown by dotted lines in Figs. 5. and 6., to prevent haycatching over the upper endsof said prongs, .as it will sometimes dowithout a guard, though the fork may be used without this guard ifdesired, and also without the spear 8., as in Fig.

7., in which said spear is shown in dotted lines, in which cases theseparts shown in dotted lines in Figs. 5. 6. and 7. would be omitted. m.and n. Fig. 8. are modified forms of this guard, .being formed of flatpieces or barsof iron or steel, instead of a round rod as at Zn, withbearings n. m. at the upper ends to engage and slide up and down betweenthe bails Z)., and forksn m at the lower ends to attach to the bearing9. at the upper end of each prong. These guards may be bent to one side,as shown at If. and n to pass at one side of the locking lever- Z orthey may be made straight, as at m., and the outer end of the lever Z.may bebent to one side out of their way, (as shown in dotted lines aty'. 'in Fig. 10.,) or they may be formed and attached in any suitablemanner allowifig them to slide up and down as the prongs open or close,and to guard the upper ends of said prongs to'prevent'the hay, etc,catching over them.

The operation of the device is as follows; viz; The fork being in theposition shown in Fig. 7. is caught up and spread open into the positionshown in Fig. 1, and thrust into the hay, and the draft applied to thefork head 7b., causing the prongs to grapple into the hay, as in Fig. 2.squeezing the hay between them,

as when taken up in ones arms, the spear s.

- f. holding the locking lever in locked position, and when it isdesired to discharge the hay a jerk or pull on the tripping rope t. andcords 1. 1. will raise these levers Z. against the tension of thesprings f, thus releasing the catches c. c. which will fly up andrelease the upper ends of the prongs a. (1., as in the left hand view inFig. 9., allowing the prongs to spread open as in Fig. 5. and dischargetheir load, after which they will swing back by gravity into theposition shown in Fig. 6., the

upper ends ofthe bails striking the shoulders (Z. (Z. on the fork headto prevent closing too far, (see Fig. 3.) and the fork will return tothe operatoie withthe points guarded as shown, the prongs being loose topull out of or slide over any hay, etc, that may be in the way, the headof the fork being pulled along first, ahead of the prongs, and thespring holding the catch 0. back under the lever Z. and cocked ready toreceive the upper end of the prong asit returns, the guards 7e, whenused, preventing the hay from catching over the upper ends of theseprongs, and as the fork descends and strikes the load, as its weightcomes on the lower ends of these prongs, they are forced back into theposition shown in Fig. 7., the upper ends of said prongs striking thelower rear extensions 0 of the catch, and forcing said catch back intolocked position, (see Fig. 9.) the spring at the same time forcing thelever Z. back into position to lock said catch as the upper extension cof said catch is driven out from under it, thus automatically lockingthe prongs ready for another load, as in Fig. 7 and the operation may berepeated.

I am aware that other modifications than those shown of some of theparts may also be made, and wish it understood that I reserve to myselfall such modifications, etc., as

properly come within the scope of my invention.

What I .claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. In a ha fork, in combination with a suitable fork head, parallelbails attached to each sidethereof, prongs or tines .pivoted betweensaid bails, catches c. 0. adapted to engage the upper ends of saidprongs, levers Z. Z. adapted to lock said catches, and springs f. fadapted to hold said catches and levers in their proper positions, asand for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of the bails Z). arranged in pairs at each side ofthe fork,

prongs a. pivoted between said bails at each side, catches 0. formedwith a forward downwardly extending portion 0"., a rear downwardextension 0 an upward forward extension c and'a hub 0 a locking lever 1.formed with a downward extension Z. and a hub Z and springsf. fsubstantially as and for the purposes set forth 3. The combination ofthe head h,, the spear s. the bails b. prongs (1., and catches 0.,locking levers Z., and the springs f. f substantially as and for the puroses set forth.

4. The combination of the ails 1)., prongs a. ivoted between said bails,a locking rnec anism adapted to engage and hold said prongs, and guardsattached at their lower ends to said prongs and adapted to slide attheir upper ends up and down along said bails, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

5. In a hay fork, in combination with the prongs a. and bails 1)., theguards 1a., substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The combination of the head h., bails 1)., prongs a., catches .andlevers c. and 1., springs f. f and guards attached at one end to theprongs a. and adapted to slide up and down along the bails b. at theiropposite ends, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In a hay fork, the combination of the head h., s ear 8., bails 9.,prongs (1., catches c.,- levers springs f. f and guards 7a,substantially as and for the pur oses set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereby affix my signature in presence of twosubscribing witnesses this 3d day of September, 1904.

JOHN M. BOYD.

Witnesses:

P. H. MARTIN, R. H. ORosBY.

